It’s a big deal whenever a world-renowned chef opens a new restaurant. But even more so when it’s Jose Andres, recipient of two Michelin stars and two James Beard Awards, who was twice named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.” He not only operates 40 restaurants globally, but founded World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit humanitarian organization that is so often first on the ground at major disasters around the world to help feed those in desperate need.

It’s been a long time coming, but Andres has finally opened his first restaurant in the Bay Area. Zaytinya took two years to debut from conception through construction, and was nearly derailed by a short-lived ban by Palo Alto on gas stoves in new construction.

Last week, it opened in the former Macy’s site at Stanford Shopping Center to great fanfare to serve Greek, Turkish and Lebanese fare. It is the sixth location of Zaytinya in the country.

Although Andres wasn’t there for the opening, his presence was on display in the form of a monogrammed chef’s jacket hanging at the host stand. He also had veteran staff on hand from his other restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas to ensure seamless service, as I found when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last Tuesday.

Off the entrance is a large outdoor dining terrace. Inside, a splashy bar is a major focal point that gives way to a dining room done up with whimsically decorated ceiling lights.

Cocktails are a must, especially the Za’atar margarita ($16), tangy and salty with the crowning touch of za’atar air that looks like sea foam and takes the place of a salt rim on the glass. The Mediterranean Gin & Tonic ($18), served in a stemless wine glass, is breezy with lime and lemon, and gets an herbal kiss from thyme.

The menu is made up of a la carte dishes meant to be shared. There is also a “Chef’s Experience” tasting menu ($85), which is what I enjoyed. It’s an ideal way to sample a variety of dishes in one sitting.

It kicked off with a parade of spreads, served with crudites and warm, house-baked pita that were like balloons — puffy like they had been inflated with air.

The smooth, creamy hummus gets topped with a fun harissa chili crisp and fresh green chickpeas that almost have an edamame taste. The fire-roasted eggplant in the baba ghannouge adds a smoky note, while pomegranate arils provide festive color and pops of fruity tang. The htipiti was my favorite with its melding of chunky, briny feta with the sweetness of roasted red peppers.

I love a good tabbouleh for its bright freshness. This one is piled on lettuce leaves to eat with your hands — a great idea for your next summer dinner party.

Spanikopita are formed into little cigars here, made with house-made phyllo wrapped around a dense filling of feta and spinach.

Greek-style shrimp are like Italian scampi, sauteed in an irresistible lemon-butter sauce but with dill. Definitely use the pita to soak up all that sauce.

Octopus is grilled until tender and smoky, then served conveniently sliced atop a puree of starchy, buttery tasting split peas with salty capers and pickled onions.

Turkish flatbread known as pide is a little like Georgian khachapuri, boat-shaped and filled with gooey cheese and a runny egg, but thinner. This version gets gilded tableside with black truffle shaved overtop, too, creating an earthy aromatherapy sensation.

Shish taouk arrives off the skewer with the juicy chunks of chicken garnished with citrusy-tasting, caramelized sumac-dusted onions, roasted tomato, skinny pickled chiles that pack modest heat, and creamy, super garlicky toum that will frighten off any vampires nearby.

Lamb chops beg to be picked up with your fingers to gnaw off every morsel of succulent meat. But drag it through the creamy eggplant spread enlivened with nutty, salty kefalograviera cheese first. I almost loved the broccolini on the plate as much as the lamb because of its smoky, charred taste and perfect al dente texture.

Crisp Brussels sprouts get dressed up with coriander seeds, barberries, and rich, pungent garlic yogurt.

For dessert, the “Chef’s Experience” satisfies the sweet tooth with two to enjoy. The Greek yogurt parfait is the ideal size for one person, with thick vanilla yogurt cream layered with juicy, tender pear pieces enveloped in warm baking spices.

The olive oil cake is light and fluffy, and garnished with orange, grapefruit and blood orange supremes, and a fluff of orange blossom cream. The touch of sea salt on the cake proved a perfect finish, too.

Welcome to Northern California, Chef Jose. It was worth the wait.

A Recipe From “The World Central Kitchen” Cookbook to Try: Brooke’s Carrot-Farro Salad